Texas

Mom of Texas teen murdered in 2001 says killer’s execution will be ‘joyful occasion’

Published

3 months ago

June 25, 2024

Mom of Texas teen murdered in 2001 says killer’s execution will be ‘joyful occasion’

Bridget Townsend was just getting her start in life as a young woman in the small Texas town of Bandera when Ramiro Gonzales raped and killed her. Her mom says she was ‘a beautiful person.’

Bridget Townsend was planning for the future. The Texas 18-year-old was working full-time at a resort and eagerly waiting to hear back about an application to get into nursing school.

But on Jan. 14, 2001, a man named Ramiro Gonzales stole all that away and all the other moments and milestones that make up a life when he kidnapped, raped and murdered Bridget.

“She was a beautiful person who loved life and loved people,” her mother, Patricia Townsend, told USA TODAY on Saturday. “Every time she was with somebody she hadn’t seen in a while, she had to hug ’em … She didn’t deserve what she got.”

Now more than 23 years later, Gonzales is set to be executed for the crime in Texas on Wednesday, which would have been Bridget’s 41st birthday. Patricia Townsend said the execution will be a “joyful occasion” for her and her family, who have been waiting so long for justice.

As Gonzales’ execution approaches, USA TODAY is looking back at the tragic crime, who Bridget was what her family lost.

A terrible night

Bridget was at her boyfriend Joe Leal’s house that terrible night.

Leal dealt drugs and Gonzales went to his house to steal cocaine, finding Bridget there alone.

After Gonzales came in and stole some cash, Bridget started to call Leal. That’s when Gonzales overpowered her, tied her up and drove her to his grandfather’s ranch, where he raped and shot her before dumping her body in a field, according to court records.

When Leal arrived home later that night, Bridget’s truck, purse and keys were their usual spots but he couldn’t find her anywhere and called police.

For nearly two years, no one but Gonzales knew what happened to Bridget. One day while he was serving a life sentence for the rape and kidnapping of another woman, Gonzales decided to confess to killing Bridget, leading authorities to her remains in a field in Bandera, a small town 40 miles northwest of San Antonio.

Gonzales was convicted of Bridget’s murder in September 2006.

‘Thank God I got to see her’

Patricia Townsend last saw her daughter the same day she was killed. Townsend was working at a video store and had asked Bridget to drop by and return a video.

“Thank God I got to see her. And I told her I loved her. And I hugged her,” Townsend said.

Bridget left soon after, saying she was going to bed because she had to drive to work in the morning. Townsend told her daughter goodbye, reminding her that she loved her.

After Townsend closed the video store and went home for the night, she said she couldn’t shake the feeling that she heard Bridget call out to her: “Mom.” She tried to call Bridget but there was no answer.

“And I said, ‘Well don’t fret, Pat.’ She said she had to get up early and go to work so she’s probably sleeping,” Townsend said. “But I should have known better because always slept with her phone right next to her in case somebody called her.”

She thought about going to check on Bridget but talked herself out of it.

“And to this day I regret not going out there,” she said. “Maybe I would have been there in time to stop him.”

Patricia Townsend gets worst news of her life

For nearly two years, Townsend spent most of her time putting up flyers about her daughter and chasing leads.

Until one night a Bandera County sheriff asked her to come to the station. Although she had been holding out hope that her daughter was alive despite the odds, she instead got the worst news of her life.

The sheriff told Townsend that Gonzales had confessed to Bridget’s murder, had led police to her body and that he had some things he was hoping she might be able to identify.

“And I walked on down the street. I couldn’t hear it anymore,” she said.

Towsend says she didn’t even have a body to bury on Oct. 16, 2002 because Gonzales “wanted to see her body decay.”

Townsend rejected arguments from Gonzales that a childhood filled with trauma and neglect helped lead him down a path that ended in her daughter’s murder.

“He doesn’t deserve mercy,” she said. “And his childhood should not have anything to do with it. I know a lot of people that had a hard childhood … He made his choice.”

It’s Gonzales’ own fault that he no longer has a life.

“He could be going to school or have a wife and kids,” she said. “I don’t feel sorry for him at all and I don’t want other people to feel sorry for him. Some people I feel sorry for are his grandma and grandpa that raised him.”

What has also brought comfort to Townsend amid the grief is that Gonzales is set to leave the world the same day Bridget came into it.

“When they told me June 26, I started crying, crying and crying,” she said. “That’s her birthday.”

Instead of celebrating her daughter’s 41st birthday, she’ll drive four hours from her home in San Antonio to the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville and watch Gonzales die.

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Texas

Quinn Ewers injury update: Texas QB’s status for Mississippi State

Published

6 hours ago

September 28, 2024

Press Room

Quinn Ewers injury update: Texas QB’s status for Mississippi State

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is not expected to play in the Longhorns’ SEC debut game against Mississippi State on Saturday as he recovers from an abdominal injury, ESPN’s Pete Thamel revealed.

Arch Manning will make his second career start for No. 1 Texas against the Bulldogs today.

Ewers was listed as questionable on the Texas football availability report, indicating that he had a 50 percent chance to play in the game, according to the SEC’s terminology.

But the expectation is that Texas will allow Ewers this week and the team’s open weekend coming up before the Oklahoma game on Oct. 12 to fully recover from the ailment.

Ewers sustained the injury in the second quarter of the Longhorns’ victory against UTSA on Sept. 14, retiring to the sideline and then the locker room for evaluation before returning to the sideline wearing street clothes.

Ewers was able to practice with the team on Tuesday, but was limited by coaches on Wednesday and then again on Thursday, as the team placed more emphasis on giving him rest.

Manning played in relief of Ewers in the UTSA game, and made his first career start the following week with Ewers sidelined, leading Texas to a win over UL Monroe.

Ewers has dealt with some nagging injuries during his collegiate career, missing time briefly in the 2022 and 2023 seasons before the abdominal issue this year.

In three games this season, Ewers has completed 73.4 percent of his passes for 691 yards and eight touchdowns.

More … Texas vs. Mississippi State score prediction by expert football model

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Top Dallas-area performers in Texas high school football, Week 5

Published

14 hours ago

September 28, 2024

Press Room

Top Dallas-area performers in Texas high school football, Week 5

Below you’ll find the top performances in rushing, receiving and passing from Dallas-area Texas high school football players in Week 5.

Rushing

Player, School, Yards

Allijah Harrison, Carrollton Newman Smith, 296

Greg Ard, McKinney North, 291

Christian Rhodes, Lake Highlands, 216

Jermirion Robertson, Lincoln, 214

Deondrae Riden Jr, DeSoto, 206

Ryder Grajo, Frisco Independence, 203

JT Harris, Euless Trinity, 201

Damarion Boozer, Carter, 194

Adarion Nettles, Mansfield Summit, 186

Keyzaylan Ware, Samuell, 176

Legend Bey, North Forney, 176

Tenel Hill, Lewisville, 166

Receiving

Player, School, Yards

Brock Boyd, Southlake Carroll, 213

Xavier Johnson, Richland, 208

Carlton Mims, Little Elm, 196

Dilon Tallie, Arlington Bowie, 177

Jordan Mosley, Princeton, 174

Blake Bates, Richardson Pearce, 164

Jett Hamby, Richardson Pearce, 163

Will Krzysiak, Argyle, 155

Ayson Theus, Duncanville, 153

Ja’Quavius Pipkin, Lancaster, 150

Jayden Beasley, Prosper, 143

Julius Spencer, Garland Lakeview Centennial, 141

Prosper High School wide receiver Jayden Beasley (7) makes a run after the catch during the first half as Plano East High School hosted Prosper High School in a District 6-6A football game played at Kimbrough Stadium in Murphy on Friday night, September 27, 2024. (Stewart / Special Contributor)

Passing

Player, School, Yards

Keelon Russell, Duncanville, 474

Presley Harper, Richardson Pearce, 422

Drew Kates, Richland, 398

Marcus Flowers, Princeton, 389

Maguire Gasperson, Argyle, 387

Argyle quarterback Maguire Gasperson (11) tries to elude Colleyville Heritage linebacker Dax... — Argyle quarterback Maguire Gasperson (11) tries to elude Colleyville Heritage linebacker Dax Hebeisen (12) and linebacker Madden Williams (9) during the first half of a District 3-5A Division II high school football game played on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Argyle’s Stadium in Argyle. (Steve Nurenberg/Special Contributor)

Christian Hampton, North Garland, 364

Chris Jimerson Jr., North Crowley, 342

Grant Bizjack, Trophy Club Byron Nelson, 335

Brent Rickert, Rockwall, 321

Howard Fisher IV, Wylie East, 319

Edward Griffin, Coppell, 305

Jerry Meyer III, Waxahachie, 298

Find more high school sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

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2024 Texas Election Guide: How to register to vote and make your voice heard

Published

23 hours ago

September 27, 2024

Press Room

2024 Texas Election Guide: How to register to vote and make your voice heard

At ABC13 Houston, we believe our democracy works best when everyone participates.

This year, Texas voters will cast ballots for our next president and vice president, U.S. Senator, congressional and state representatives, and decide on multiple judicial races.

Your last day to register to vote is Monday, Oct. 7, 2024.
Check your Texas voter registration | Register to vote (print, sign and mail)
Find your polling place

Texas does not offer online voter registration, but you can visit VoteTexas.gov to fill out, print, sign and mail your application. To be eligible to vote in the November general election, your registration form must be received or postmarked by the Oct. 7 deadline.

You can also register to vote in person at your local Voter Registrar’s office.

Even if you’ve voted before, you should still double-check your registration.

More than a million Texans have been removed from voter rolls since 2021, and the League of Women Voters told ABC13 that some voters have been removed if they didn’t register in the last two federal elections.

Early voting will begin Monday, Oct. 21 and run through Friday, Nov. 1.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Voting by mail in Texas is limited to voters who are:

Ages 65 and older
Sick or disabled
Expected to give birth within three weeks of Election Day
Out of the county on Election Day and during the early voting period
Confined in jail, but otherwise eligible
Civilly committed under Chapter 841 of the Texas Health and Safety Code

The last day to register to vote by mail in Texas is Friday, Oct. 25.

Click here to download an application to vote by mail.

What you can (and can’t) bring to the polls

All voters must present one of the following forms of photo ID:

Texas driver license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
Texas personal identification card issued by DPS
Texas handgun license issued by DPS
United States military identification card containing the person’s photograph
United States citizenship certificate containing the person’s photograph
United States passport (book or card)

You can still vote if you do not possess or cannot reasonably obtain one of these photo IDs. You will need to fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration at the polls and show a copy or original of one of the following approved IDs:

Certified Domestic Birth Certificate or Court Admissible Birth Document
Current utility bill
Bank statement
Government check
Paycheck
Government document with your name and an address, including your voter registration certificate

If you need assistance, voters may request help by any person other than the voter’s employer, an agent of their employer, or an officer or agent of a labor union to which the voter belongs.

You are not permitted to use a wireless communications device or any device which records audio, images or video within 100 feet of a voting station. This includes smartphones, digital cameras or sound recorders. Election judges are authorized to require anyone to turn off or deactivate any device.

While you may be excited to vote for a particular candidate, you should not wear any campaign t-shirts, buttons, hats or other accessories to the polls. This is considered electioneering, which is not permitted within 100 feet of the voting stations.

What’s on my ballot?

For a glance at what you’ll see at the top of your ballot, click here (PDF).

For down ballot races, see your county election authority’s website for details:

Harris Co.
Fort Bend Co.
Montgomery Co.
Galveston Co.
Chambers Co.
Liberty Co.
Waller Co.
Austin Co.
Brazoria Co.
Calhoun Co.
Colorado Co.
Grimes Co.
Jackson Co.
Matagorda Co.
Polk Co.
San Jacinto Co.
Trinity Co.
Walker Co.
Washington Co.
Wharton Co.